Disk files are information storage devices which utilize at least one rotatable disk with concentric data tracks containing data information, a transducer for reading the data from or writing the data to the various tracks, a slider for holding the transducer adjacent to the track in close proximity to the media, a suspension for resiliently holding the slider and the transducer over the tracks, and a positioning actuator connected to the combination for moving the transducer over the disk surface to the desired track and maintaining the transducer over the track center line during a read or a write operation. The transducer is formed on a surface of or otherwise attached to the slider which is supported in a flying mode by a cushion of air generated by the rotating disk. The suspension provides a high spring stiffness and dimensional stability between the slider and the actuator arm. The suspension is required to maintain the transducer and the slider adjacent to the data surface of the disk with as low a loading force as possible. The actuator positions the transducer over the correct track according to the data desired on a read operation or to the correct track for recording of the data during a write operation. The actuator is controlled to position the transducer over the correct track by shifting the combination generally transverse to the motion of the track.
In conventional disk drives, the transducer and the slider are formed separately from the suspension and then attached to the suspension through an operator-controlled precision attachment procedure. The parts are small and the positioning of each relative to the other must be highly accurate. The transducer must be precisely positioned relative to the track which in turn means that the suspension must be precisely positioned onto the slider. Additionally, the suspension must provide flexibility and pitch ,and roll motion for the slider relative to the direction of motion of the rotating disk and yet provide resistance to the yaw motion. Any error in the placement of the suspension relative to the slider results in the destruction of both pieces. Even if the suspension and the slider are correctly positioned., the conductor leads to the transducer must then be connected to the transducer and directed along the suspension or connection to an amplifier placed adjacent to the suspension on the actuator. The conductor leads must not add to the spring stiffness of the slider while providing good electrical interconnection. The conductor leads are generally bonded by ultrasonic energy or by soldering, for example, to both the transducer output and the amplifier by an operator. Again, errors can cause destruction of the entire combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,804 to Kant, et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describes a slider-suspension assembly that includes flexible sheets of material for the suspension to which the conductors for the transducer are deposited and which support the slider and the transducer combination. The stainless steel suspension of the prior art is replaced by the flexible sheet onto which the conductors are deposited. In this patent, the polyimide flexible sheets are formed separately from the slider-transducer combination and then attached to each other by gluing, for instance. There is no showing of a combination transducer-slider-suspension assembly that requires no further connection step between the suspension and the slider.
It is known that the suspension arm can be formed from a polyimide material with the conductors to the transducer deposited directly on the polyimide suspension. U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,914 to Ainslie, et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses that contact soldering can be used to connect the suspension containing the conductors directly to a slider having the transducer deposited thereon, with the slider having conductor pads and interconnecting leads deposited onto the slider between the conductor pads and the transducer. Again the slider and transducer are separately produced from the suspension arm and then interconnected later through contact soldering as disclosed in this patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,699 to Ainslie, et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a method for mechanically attaching a slider to a suspension by the use of reflowed solder balls. A pattern of solder contact pads is formed on the back side of the slider and a similar pattern of solder-wetable regions is formed on the suspension. The slider with the transducers deposited thereon are placed adjacent to the suspension assembly. The solder is reflowed thereby causing the solder balls on the transducer to .come in contact with and flow together with the solder balls formed on the regions of the suspension. The mechanical attachment of the slider to the suspension is made simultaneously with the electrical connections of the transducer leads to the further electronics of the amplifier. As with the remainder of the known prior art, the slider and transducer portion of the combination is produced separately from the suspension assembly which includes interconnecting conductors. There is no showing of a combination transducer-slider-suspension with conductors nor a method for making the combination.